Title: The Sickness Blues
Author: tommygirl828 (at) gmail (dot) com
Crossposted: here, my livejournal, and my website
A/N: much love to ladybug218 for the continuous beta support. This is part of an ongoing 100 prompt challenge where I'm doing all Chris-centered fics - link to the table in my user info if interested. Much love to everyone who sends feedback, I greatly appreciated. And, as always, feedback on this is loved and adored!
Chris flipped through the channels once again, hoping that by some miracle an interesting show had suddenly appeared on the television. No such luck. He shut it off, tossed the remote on the table, and laid back on the couch with a groan. Five days cooped up inside with dreaded bronchitis and he was about to go crazy. His breathing was finally getting better and he actually managed to keep food down, but all those good things were ruined by the fact that he was stuck at the manor.
Chris didn't bother to open his eyes when he heard the familiar sound of someone orbing into the hallway. It wasn't until he felt a fist in his gut that his eyes fluttered opened. He took a swing at the smirk on his brother's face and muttered, "Jerk."
"How's the sick 'ittle baby doing?"
"Fine enough to turn you into a toad," Chris countered. He sat up on the sofa and said, "Don't you have work?"
"Not until later. I wanted to check on you. See if you were planning to return to our apartment anytime soon?"
"He's not going anywhere until the doctor gives him a clean bill of health," Piper replied, entering the room. She smiled at Wyatt and said, "If you miss your brother so much, you're more than welcome to stay here at the manor with us, sweetie."
Wyatt plopped down on the sofa next to Chris and said, "And give up the bachelor pad? Sorry, Mom, I'll pass."
Piper rolled her eyes. She placed her hand on Chris's forehead and asked, "How are you feeling?"
Chris pretended not to notice the smirk on his brother's face. He answered, "I feel a lot better. Maybe I can—"
"You're not going anywhere except to the doctor's office."
"But I think—"
"This isn't up for discussion, Chris. You wouldn't let yourself be healed."
"Because it's a cold."
"Bronchitis," his mother replied.
"Lots of people manage just fine," Chris countered.
"I agree, but part of being like other people is taking it easy until you're better," Piper replied. She patted his cheek and said, "Your fever's gone."
"Told you I'm feeling better," Chris muttered. He glanced out the window and said, "And I think fresh air would do me some good."
"Nice try," Piper replied. She glanced at Wyatt and asked, "Are you staying for lunch? I made some soup for your brother, but there's enough for both of you."
Wyatt nodded and said, "Sure, I'll keep the sicky company for a bit."
Chris waited until Piper left the room before heaving a pillow at Wyatt and saying, "I hate you."
"Is irrational anger a side effect to your meds?"
"I'm bored. You know that and you're rubbing it in."
"Hey, it wasn't my idea to play the martyr and suffer through the sickness. I could've healed you and everything would've been fine, but you wanted to handle it like a normal person."
"What's so wrong with being normal?" Chris asked, trying to squelch a coughing fit before it started. If he continued coughing, his mother would never let him leave.
Wyatt shrugged and picked up the remote. He said, "Let's see what we can find to watch, shall we?"
"There's nothing on. Even I draw the line at getting sucked into soap operas."
Wyatt stopped the television on a talk show and slapped Chris on the leg. He said, "Nothing on? Obviously, you missed this."
"My baby's daddy is also his brother? I don't think missed is the correct term," Chris replied. He groaned when Wyatt put down the remote and leaned back against the sofa. This was almost worse than the fact that he had been cooped up inside for five days straight. Chris shook his head and said, "You were put on this earth to test me, weren't you?"
"Love you too, baby brother," Wyatt replied, chuckling at the audience's reaction to some girl's story.
Chris shut his eyes. He was definitely going stir crazy when he found himself longing for an evil demon attack – at least then he'd get outside. He sighed, coughing a little as he did so, and decided that next time he got sick, he was getting healed. Sometimes being normal wasn't worth it.
Fin